I don't believe in wearing one clothing everyday in comics. Do you?

[JessJackdaw]

Ahh, well... it depends. Usually you see it in animated series and games because designing new models is rather costly and it helps with branding to keep outfits the same.

So I think some comics mimic this to maximize a reader's memory. When you see that character in the same outfit again you might say, "Hey, I remember this orange sweater guy." Sometimes it's essential for budding artists that suffer from same-face syndrome. I've read some comics where I literally couldn't recognize a character when they changed clothes. D:

Also it might be a storytelling thing, like you said. Maybe they just don't have any other clothes. XD In that case, they better look lived in like Masahiro's clothes in Grassblades.

One more point too, it might have to do do with how the comic is paced. One day in the comic world might take a year of posting in real time. That's what's happening to me anyway. So, the characters are going to keep the outfits they have until the day in the comic passes. ...Which won't be until Chapter 3. So that can distort things as well. XD

[Evan]

There are plenty of excuses to get around wearing the exact same outfit everyday though. If set in a war, the characters might wear the same armor all the time, if set in a school, the characters may have to wear a school uniform, or maybe all the characters have favorite jackets that they wear all the time.

For my comic, clothing design doesn't seem too important since it's more of random comedy than slice of life or a comic with a coherent story.
If I ever have to make an explanation for why all my characters wear white nondescript shirts, I would probably say that shirt stores only sell white nondescript shirts in my universe.

[Kura]

Having only 2 - 3 outfits and wearing the same thing all week was/is my life bro.

Just change the undies everyday... maybe...

[azureXtwilight]

Tbh it wouldn't make sense if students are not wearing their uniforms in school, for doctors to not wear the same scrub / the same coat, or for fantasy characters not to wear their armors because they might be expensive to purchase. In this case, not changing clothes is a valid excuse.

Also @JessJackdaw's explanation about how pacing is an option also counts.

It doesn't bother me if the characters never change clothes or hairstyles but it increases my enjoyment if they do. It's just a small detail but I like to see my characters in different attires from time to time, it makes them look more natural.

[agentfink]

I have a character who typically wears the same thing all the time. Other characters in my cast are cops-- they have a uniform and we'll see them in that 90% of the time but I do plan on a costume change for them when the time is right.

[velldonnabarb]

If a character is always wearing the same clothing then the clothes will become an integral part of the character. This can strengthen the design in the reader's memory.
Ex: Where's Waldo's striped shirt, Cruella's oversized coat, the Flintstones outfits, homer Simpson, Buzz lightyears outfit, etc...

So I think that having a character wear the same thing is beneficial to creating an iconic/memorable design, though it isn't realistic.

That said, for comics in particular, it does depend on the genre of story. If I'm reading a slice of life comic, I'd find it strange if the characters never changed clothes. Stories with a realistic edge will probably be better off mirroring reality and in reality people change their clothing regularly.
Or, if your like me, only when personal hygiene forces you to.

[joannekwan]

Eh, it doesn't really bother me unless the story is supposed to be realistic and set in contemporary times and the character would have a decent wardrobe selection unless otherwise stated.

[VikiKuli]

Well, I thin it depends and the time span of the comic and how realistic you want to be, as people have stated. I think have a certain color or style associated with a character is important at times, because it does help visually identify it. Also, if your comic set in a modern time period, like mine, I think repeating a shirt once in a while gives a sense that the character actually has a wardrobe rather than an infinite amount of clothing :).

[fighterxaos]

I change it up from time to time but yeah, they tend to wear the same stuff. I do think about it though, like, "they wouldn't wear the exact same thing everyday" but... I'm lazy. At least one of my characters has justification for it since he's essentially homeless. XD

I also remember an episode of Doug where they poked fun at the whole wearing the same clothes everyday thing, by showing him opening his closet and he had lots of sets of the exact same clothes hanging.

[SpavVy]

Well, my comic is a fantasy that takes place in the afterlife where the characters battle demons and stuff so yeah, no reason for me to change their outfits much seeing as they are technically ghosts.

[Kura]

I also remember an episode of Doug where they poked fun at the whole wearing the same clothes everyday thing, by showing him opening his closet and he had lots of sets of the exact same clothes hanging.

That was one of my favourite stupid jokes that I loved as a kid. It would occasionally pop up in cartoons and anime.

[Zanreo]

My characters are personifications (of game companies), so their clothes are typically part of their design in what they're supposed to represent... so most of the time they'll just wear the same clothes. Most of them also have their own "signature" colors/color schemes wthich is commonly used in other outfits.

[JKNNKL]

I don't care, like even in the most realistic media and stories it doesn't bother me. Take a look @ harry potter, doesn't he only wear that one blue shirt and grey jacket for 7 years

[Emberguard]

Or maybe it means they do laundry every single day like when you get a work uniform?

Aside from which if the comic isn't over a large time frame then all it does is tell you it's the same day and they're not changing every hour.

[wander_creature]

Personally this is kind of an off topic because of Outer Spaces' particular style - their clothes seem to be kind of part of who they are. That said, Wander changes to scrubs anytime he's working in the Orbital Keep Unit, and I think they were kinda naked one morning in bed. However, costume design is seriously one of my favorite things to work on in a comic, and I'm thrilled when I get to design a new Ink character - I keep a sketchbook in real life to collect various strange fashion bits and pieces that I see on strangers or in malls and thrift stores, and cobble them into characters later on.

(More fashion, deep thoughts and anxiety-fighting cuteness Over Here.)

[mariusthered]

some characters are just easy to identify if the stick to a small number of outfits .

when i was a teenager all i ever wore was jeans and my denim Jacket with a t-shirt (my mother nagged me about it for years)

[davidlhickmon]

In Autumn Bay, you can often tell that a day has passed by the change in clothing. That being said, characters typically have a "signature style", so it doesn't get confusing. Also, things like coats or uniforms remain the same.

It doesn't bother me to see a comic where people wear the same thing all the time, and I understand several reasons why. For me, it's not only a little more realistic, but also fun to come up with the next outfit.

[AnnaLandin]

I agree that some variation is nice - it implies that the character has a life that exists beyond the panels themselves, which is nice; it creates a sense of a greater world beyond the scope of your story. That said, varying a character's clothing means constantly changing their design, which can end up being detrimental in the long run - a lot of characters (and their clothes) are designed to be iconic and easy for the readers to remember - if you keep changing the design, you're asking the reader to remember a lot more visual info about a character than is strictly necessary, which can be an overload - esp. in stories with large casts.

... also, there are situations where staying in the same set of clothes is fully motivated. When it's a uniform, for example, or when your main character literally only has one set of clothes and has to make due with them, such as when they are a homeless wanderer.

[punkarsenic]

in my comic, theres a lot of uniformity in clothing. mostly, its because theyre wearing uniform. one of the main characters doesnt, and ive drawn her in multiple outfits, but theyre all quite similiar in colour and cut.

as much as varied costumes has a great impact - i loved it in marvel's runaways - i dont think its that crucial. i cycle between two almost identical outfits in real life, im really unvaried with my style, so its not that unrealistic that my characters could be. a distinctive style is helpful for identifying a character (admittedly, if you need it, its a bad character design, but its still helpful)

[gateofselidor]

I like to change my characters' outfits every chapter or two, but every scene? I don't have the time to design that many outfits, or to learn how to draw them just for the sake of a few pages before it switches again. I don't blame any artist who keeps the same outfit all the way through the comic, and I can suspend my disbelief for it.

My comic is a fantasy comic set in a very low-tech world, and my characters spend a lot of time travelling long distances without much space for luggage, so I don't even think it's realistic for them to have a full wardrobe with them on the road.